Novel Full 329 329 Show of Gratitude
When Nico disappeared inside the building Max realized that he had maybe, possibly, made a tactical blunder. It only took seconds before the screaming flooded the Rebel communication channels, making it impossible to track their movements and orders through the confusion.
[What in the Feth is she doing to them in there?] Colonel Klinger asked in annoyance as he gave up on trying to track enemy movement.
[Sorry Colonel. I set the Plasma Cannon to wide dispersion and it caused a minor chain reaction fire when it hit the infantry. They should calm down in a second.] Nico replied, but Max could see her data coming up on his firing solutions, and that didn’t seem likely.
That Archangel suit was just an unfair advantage, allowing her to drop directly into the middle of the enemy’s command area and go anywhere that a regular-sized human could, with the firepower of a Light Mecha.
[Switch to Thermal for movement. I have all the Regiment’s sensors linked, so you should be able to extrapolate from radar data until the Radio communications return to normal. Treat it as a radio silence protocol situation.] Max suggested, turning the artillery fire from Enduring Rage to wipe out a group of Crusaders who were trying to flank around the Fifth Battalion’s left side.
[Commander, we have reached the Facility’s shield generator. Should we defend this point or push past it?] Second Battalion Commander Lucci asked from her Super Heavy Mecha, Shining Glory.
[Hold that position. Once we have this infestation cleaned up they are going to want to bring that barrier back online, so try not to let it get damaged.] Max ordered.
With their Command structure in disarray and their reinforcements gone, the Rebels were already in a bad position and had been forced together into one sector of the Facility where they were being quickly encircled and eliminated.
[Rebel Forces, this is Tarith Rage of the Terminus Trading Company. Lay down your arms and surrender. Your position is no longer defensible, and our Cutters are incoming with Plasma Bombs. If you do not wish to face annihilation, surrender now.] Max heard Nico’s demand over the Kepler channels and chuckled.
The Cutters wouldn’t even need to do anything, the drones that she had just launched were carrying the bombs in question, and with the facility shields down, the Rebel’s core forces had nothing to protect themselves from the force of a bombing run.
[This is Duke Millicent of New Plimpton. We wish to negotiate.] Came the resigned call in return, unencrypted, so that everyone could hear and understand it.
[Exit your Mecha and I will meet you with a delegation from our force and the terms of surrender documents.] Nico replied, then sent Max a copy of the standard form that Reavers used to negotiate a surrender.
It was all based on the financial rewards for the Mercenaries, and was their primary source of income since the ones who hired them often weren’t in a position to pay enough with so much of their world destroyed before they were willing to call in Mercenaries.
Max filled in the confiscation of their weapons of war, as well as terms for the Rebels to be held here on the planet until such time as a delegation arrived with the payment for their release. That would repay the locals for much of the price they paid for the Mercenaries who came here to test their new Mecha design and help with the rebuilding of the Facility.
[We need an honor guard. I am on the far side of the Facility with Enduring Rage, who is close?] Max asked unsure who was where at the moment.
[Colonel DiFranco of the Fourth Battalion reporting. I am only a hundred meters from where the Rebel Signal originated. I will send four of my Corvette Class units to her as an honor guard and join them in a Mobile Suit.]
[Good enough. I have the paperwork ready and sent to your unit, print it off before you leave. Protocol says that everything is done in duplicate hard copy.] Max ordered.
[This is Dar Mar of the Facility’s quality control team. I am currently the highest-ranking survivor on the planet, so I will lead the negotiation team to your position Miss Rage.] A pleasant young male voice reported.
The Rebels had formed up around their last remaining ship, defending it until they could secure a way off the planet, a hope that wouldn’t happen now.
Max waited while the three groups organized to meet in a large warehouse that could be seen by all three sides and that none of them would have time to organize an ambush in.
[You’ve gotta see this guy] Nico texted Max, sending him a picture of the Rebel Commander. He was clearly aristocratic, with the defined features that marked the nobility, but also clearly inbred, and cross-eyed. He looked like a living mockery of the nobility, the way that a kid from the slums would draw them as an insult.
[Just play nice. They still hold their last ship, and they’ve likely got enough on board to pay off their ransom and leave. That’s what we want, but we want them to leave with nothing but that damaged ship, and return to Kepler’s borders where the Loyalist forces are waiting for them, understand?] Max replied.
[Got it, Boss. Loot them but don’t kill them. Don’t worry, I’m a professional.]
Once the locals arrived, Nico stepped into the warehouse, slinging her plasma rifle over her shoulder and folding the wings of the Archangel unit close to her back. Once she was inside, she placed the rifle on the table off to one side of the meeting area and took a seat with a pleasant smile.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Duke Millicent. I believe I have heard your name before, but I recall it being attached to a much older man. Forgive my confusion.” Nico greeted the Rebel Commander.
“The branch family staged a coup on my homeworld and took over our ancestral title. At this moment there are three Dukes of the Millicent family, Madam Tarith.” The Duke replied cordially.
Colonel DiFranco placed the documents on the table between them and stepped back, preferring to let Nico take care of the politics while he simply stood guard.